


Epilogue: The Debt

by dbw



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Episode Related, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-19
Updated: 2009-11-19
Packaged: 2017-10-03 08:51:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dbw/pseuds/dbw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No plot, just a few random thoughts by Blair and Simon following the episode "The Debt."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Epilogue: The Debt

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted September 2002

"Are you positive that you aren't ready to give up this foolish notion of yours? As you know, Burton's credentials are, shall we say, less than satisfactory. In three years you haven't found a single candidate who has more than two enhanced senses. Surely that should tell you that finding a subject with all five is a fantasy."

Blair winced. He hadn't declared to his thesis advisor that he'd found a sentinel when he met Jim and he still wasn't ready to do so. He didn't know why, exactly, but it just didn't feel right to him. Perhaps it was the way that Dr. Franklin's use of the word _'subject'_ grated on his nerves that made him so reluctant.

"I know how it seems, Dr. Franklin, but I have unearthed a lot of historical material that makes for good background for my thesis. Combine that with the research I've done on those people you mentioned who have one or two enhanced senses and, well, I think I can make some valid extrapolations. Besides, I'm still looking. You never know when I might just run into a sentinel, you know? I feel like I'm close; I'm not ready to give up hope just yet."

Dr. Franklin looked less than convinced, but he finally shook his head and sighed. "All right, Blair. Work with what you have so far and we'll see what happens down the line. However, I feel I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that your obstinance in staying with this topic is cause for some concern among the faculty. We have high expectations for you, my boy, and we won't allow you to chuck a potentially brilliant future away on a pipe dream."

"I understand, sir. Thanks for giving me a little more time."

"By the way, what's going on with you and the police department?" Dr. Franklin raised an eyebrow. "I was contacted a few weeks ago regarding an application you submitted to do a ride-along? I must say that I was rather shocked."

"Oh, uh, well, you see, my roommate is a police detective. I thought that there might be an interesting article or two that I could write on the department, ah, along the lines of the police as a closed society or something." Blair worried his lower lip between his teeth and watched his advisor warily.

"I see. This isn't anything dangerous, is it? I certainly can't condone something that would put you in danger." He frowned slightly.

Blair shook his head. "Oh no, sir. Nothing like that. It's just a ride-along so I can get an understanding of the interactions of a modern tribe, so to speak." He forced a chuckle. "Besides, you know the police wouldn't allow a civilian to be in a situation where he could be hurt. Too much red tape for them to fill out if that happened." He made a mental note to make sure that only the most sanitized reports of his activities got back to the department.

"No, I suppose you're right. Very well. I'll expect to see an interesting article on this from you."

"Of course, sir. Was there anything else?" Blair's hands gripped the straps of his backpack tightly.

"No, no. The interrogation is done for the month. You're free to go." Franklin smiled. "I'll see you next month for another installment. If anything comes up before then, you know where to find me."

Blair nodded and rose to his feet. He was out the door and down the hall before he allowed himself to take a relieved breath. Another month's review of his progress on his thesis and he'd managed to tap-dance his way through the mine field once more without revealing that he'd found his sentinel. The fact that Dr. Franklin knew about his ride-along with Jim Ellison and hadn't put two and two together astounded him. But then, no one else really believed in the existence of sentinels and so no one else had spent any time theorizing on what type of work might attract them in modern society.

Of course, now he'd have to come up with an article about the police department. He'd entered Franklin's office with every intention of telling him that he'd been successful in finding a sentinel, but had changed his mind when Franklin spoke of finding a subject for his thesis as if it were a bug under a microscope and not another human being.

A few short weeks ago, it wouldn't have bothered Blair. Hell, a few weeks ago he was referring to Jim as 'the subject' in his notes without thinking a thing about it. A lot had changed in just a few weeks. He'd begun to learn about the man behind the senses and that knowledge was changing the dynamic between them. Helping Jim deal with the pain he'd felt at his friend Danny's death and then helping him catch Danny's killers had been enlightening, to say the least.

He knew he was on shaky ethical ground. Guarding against becoming too involved with Jim was what he should be doing, but he couldn't seem to help himself. Far from being a passive observer, he'd become an active participant in the Sentinel's life. In a way, the scariest part of that to Blair was the fact that he liked it. He liked being involved in solving crimes and catching criminals. For the first time in maybe forever, he felt like he was making a real difference in the world.

With a start he noticed that he was already half way across the parking lot to his car. He frowned. He'd planned on working in his office for a couple of hours before heading home. Obviously his subconscious had a different idea. As he slipped behind the wheel of the Corvair, he sighed. Maybe he'd drop by the station for just a few minutes and see how Jim was doing. He could always use the excuse that they needed to run a few more tests on Jim's senses to make sure that everything was back online.

 

~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~

 

Simon Banks leaned back in his chair and gazed out his office windows. Several of his detectives were in the bullpen at the moment, working on cases and paperwork. He let his gaze roam the room; satisfied that everything was running smoothly. He stopped when he came to Ellison.

What was he going to do with Jim? Sure, the man had seemed to calm down once they had Juno locked up, but for awhile he had been afraid that his best detective was completely out of control. And all that stuff with Jim's senses cutting in and out on him? Simon hadn't been at all happy to hear that little tidbit secondhand from Sandburg _after_ the case was closed. Was Jim ever going to get a handle on his senses?

Simon frowned as Jim stilled and cocked his head slightly. He watched as Jim sat frozen for several moments. Fearing that his friend had fallen into one of those zone things that Sandburg had explained to him, Simon was about ready to go out and see if something was wrong, when Jim suddenly gazed at the doorway to Major Crime. A moment later, Blair Sandburg bounced into the bullpen like a manic puppy. He perched on the edge of Jim's desk and grinned at him, hands and mouth both going a mile a minute. Jim relaxed back in his chair and watched the show with a small grin on his face.

Were there two more different men than Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg? Simon shook his head slowly. If pressed, he would say no, but their odd partnership seemed to be working. Jim was certainly more at ease than Simon could ever remember having seen him, and Sandburg, well he was still a bit of an enigma. He could be annoying and aggravating one minute and full of odd, but useful information that helped crack a case wide open the next. If he were honest he'd admit that the thing about Sandburg that annoyed him the most was how he, Simon Banks, tough cop that he was, tended to feel protective toward the kid. He knew Sandburg was an adult, but damn if there wasn't something elusive about him that just made you want to keep him from knowing about the kinds of horrors that cops encountered. He snorted softly and turned back to his desk.

The only other thing about their partnership that bothered Simon was wondering what would happen to Jim when it was over. He'd never seen the man become so close to anyone before, not even his former partner Jack Pendergrast. He doubted that Jim had even allowed his ex-wife to get as close to him as he'd allowed Blair. What would happen to Jim when Sandburg's paper was done and it was time for him to move on? That was definitely not something to which Simon was looking forward. He could only hope that Jim would get control of his senses sooner rather than later and decide that he could go it alone once again.


End file.
